The present invention generally relates to swimming pool accessories, and more particularly to an apparatus for supporting a swimming pool lane line.
Swimming pool lane lines are used in large swimming pools as a means to divide the pool into lanes for purposes including recreational lap swimming and competitive swimming events. Typical swimming pool lane lines are comprised of a rope or cable held near the surface of the water with a plurality of ring shaped disks and donut- to ovoid-shaped floats spaced along the length of the rope or cable. Most modern lane lines are designed to suppress wave turbulence.
Many swimming pool lane lines comprise a central cable on which buoyant spaced-apart rings, disks or cylinders, some having radially extending fins, are threaded. The rings, disks, fins, or other elements threaded on the supporting cable are generally made from plastic materials. Unfortunately, when in use, the plastic materials of the lane lines are exposed to chlorine compounds, salts, and/or radiation from the sun. These factors, over time, deteriorate the plastic eventually causing the plastic to become stiff and brittle.
The lane lines are generally extended into and retracted from the pool by either dragging the lines directly into or out of the pool by hand, or winding the lines on a reel located on the pool deck. Because of the length of the lane lines, use of a reel is often the preferred method of lane line storage and management. During such extending or retracting process, the edges or fins of the rings, disks, or cylinders of the lane line rub against the edge of the pool deck. If the edges or fins of the rings, disks, or cylinders of the lane line are hardened or stiffened, as typically occurs when exposed to chlorine compounds, salts and sunlight, such rubbing chips away at the brittle elements, thereby damaging the plastic rings. This damage reduces the efficacy of the lane lines, creates sharp edges that become a safety hazard to swimmers, and leaves broken pieces of plastic in the water that can be a further hazard to swimmers and/or foul the pool filtration system. Over time, the continued rubbing of the sharp or broken edges of the lane line may also actually damage the edge of the pool deck.
Examples of swimming pool lane line support devices can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,682 to Sanchez. In the '682 patent, the disclosed lane line protection device is positioned over the edge of a swimming pool and bypasses the sharp edge of the pool by creating a smooth surface over the pool's edge. A lane line is placed over the smooth surface of the device, thereby preventing the lane line from contacting the relatively sharp edge of the pool. Furthermore, the device of the '682 patent includes a U-shaped channel centrally located therein through which the lane line slides or glides as it transitions between the water and a storage reel or vice versa. The channel includes smooth edges that are sufficiently high to prevent the lane line from slipping or pulling out of the channel so long as the lane line is not pulled at an angle to the channel. Despite these advantages, the device of Sanchez has several drawbacks. First, the device does not include a mechanism to prevent unwanted movement. For instance, nothing prevents the device from sliding toward, and even into, the swimming pool. Second, the geometry of the device is not adapted for use in a swimming pool having a recessed peripheral gutter system. Third, the device can accommodate only one lane line at a time. Fourth, the device has a narrow channel with depth ratios insufficient to prevent the lane line from leaving the channel when the lane line is pulled at odd angles to the channel, such as when the lane line is being extended into the pool while walking around the deck rather than swimming it straight across the pool.
A need exists for improvement in swimming pool lane line support devices. This, and other needs, are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.